1. Field
Embodiments relate to watercraft, and more particularly, to an inflatable stand up paddle board with a rigid needle nose.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stand up paddle boards have been known since time immemorial in the Hawaiian Islands. However, the sport of stand up paddle boarding has only recently begun to explode in main stream popularity due to the ease of learning to use a stand up paddle board, the ability for a user to paddle longer distances than by using, for example, their hands, exercise benefits, and the ability of a user to enjoy a high aspect view of their surroundings.
A stand up paddle board typically has a rigid construction. For example, a traditional stand up paddle board was made of wood. Modern stand up paddle boards typically consist of laminated layers over a foam core such as a glass-reinforced plastic construction using polyester or epoxy resin with a polyurethane or expanded polystyrene foam used in the core. A modern stand up paddle board typically ranges between 10-12 feet in length and can weigh over 50 pounds.
Recently, inflatable stand up paddle boards have been introduced. Inflatable stand up paddle boards have the advantage over a rigid stand up paddle board of reduced weight, high durability and ease of transportation. However, one problem with an inflatable stand up paddle board is it necessarily has a rounded bow. This is a particular drawback to inflatable stand up paddle boards because this decreases the speed and maneuverability of the inflatable stand up paddle board and the ability of the inflatable stand up paddle board to cut waves.
Due to these problems and others an inflatable stand up paddle board with a rigid, sharp bow is desired.